At the same instant the girl too turned towards me...
I caught sight of big grey eyes in a bright mobile face, and the whole face suddenly quivered and laughed, there was a flash of white teeth, a droll lifting of the eyebrows...
I crimsoned, picked up my gun from the ground, and pursued by a musical but not ill-natured laugh, fled to my own room, flung myself on the bed, and hid my face in my hands.
My heart was fairly leaping; I was greatly ashamed and overjoyed; I felt an excitement I had never known before.
After a rest, I brushed my hair, washed, and went downstairs to tea. The image of the young girl floated before me, my heart was no longer leaping, but was full of a sort of sweet oppression.
'What's the matter?' my father asked me all at once: 'have you killed a rook?'
I was on the point of telling him all about it, but I checked myself, and merely smiled to myself.
As I was going to bed, I rotated – I don't know why – three times on one leg, pomaded my hair, got into bed, and slept like a top all night.
Before morning I woke up for an instant, raised my head, looked round me in ecstasy, and fell asleep again.
Chapter III